The present disclosure relates generally to the field of drilling wells and more particularly to downhole power generation.
Electrical power for use in the downhole drilling environment may be supplied by batteries in the downhole equipment, or by downhole fluid driven generators. Downhole batteries may suffer reliability problems at high temperatures. Fluid driven generators may be required to operate over a wide range of flow rates. As the flow rate increases, mechanical loads on the generator components increase, possibly causing mechanical failures. Electrical generators typically continue to generate more power as the rotational rate increases. At high flow rates, this high power output may generate more power than is necessary for the intended application. The excess power generation may lead to excessive heat generation both in the generator, and in the power conversion and conditioning electronics.